PANCHA BRAHMA UPANISHAD

Pancha Brahma Upanishad

(Part of the Krishna Yajur Veda)
Introduction:
The Pancha Brahma Upanishad deals with the five fold aspect of Pancha
Brahmas (Siva). The Upanishad explains the significance of the five divinities,
namely Sathyojatha, Aghora, Vamadeva, Thathpurusha and Ishana, their
respective attributes, functions and colors. The five fold aspect of Brahman
or Siva is represented by the five syllables hidden in the Panchakshari
mantra, "Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya." The Upanishad also reveals the fact that every
form in the universe contains the five fold aspect of Brahman and that Lord

Siva exists in the hearts of all beings.

The Upanishad:
Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy, May our study be vigorous and
effective; May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). Om ! Let
there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be
Peace in the forces that act on me !
Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !
Next Paippalada addressed (Mahadeva) What is That which came to exist at
first?
2. (He replied). Sadyojata. What is that O Lord, ? Aghora. What is that, O
Lord? Vamadeva. What are those, O Lord? Tatpurusha. What are these, O
Lord? Isana, the instructor of all the Vidyas.
3. He is the Isana (ruler) of the past and the future and of all the gods.
4. All the Secrets, whatever they have with colors, divisions and energies, the
Lord Mahesa gave out to him (Paippalada).
5. Adoration to Mahadeva, Maharudra.
6. O Sakala, hear from me, whatever are the secrets of secrets in the world
(a teacher says to his pupil).
7. Sadyojata, which bestows all the desired objects, represents Earth, Pusha
(the sun), Lakshmi, Brahma, Trivritsvara (sound), Rig Veda, Garhapatya fire,
the mantras which have seven notes, yellow color, and Kriyasakti.
8. Aghora, which destroys all the multitude of sins, which pacifies evils, and
which bestows all prosperities, represents water, the moon, Gauri, Yajurveda,
cloud color, Sandrasvara, Dakshinagni, the mantras with fifty syllables,
protection and Ichchasakti.
9. Vamadeva, which gives the great wisdom, represents Agni, Vidyakala,
Samaveda, Svara with eight notes, Dhirasvara (majestic sound), Ahavantya

fire, knowledge and dissolution energies, and white color mixed with
darkness. He, whose brightness is equal to that of crores of suns, possesses
full consciousness and is the leader of the three states (of consciousness). He
distributes the fruits of all actions to men, who are in the three states of
consciousness, and also bestows on them all the prosperities. He, whose
mantra is Eight syllabled one, resides in the center of eight-petalled lotus (of
the heart).
10. Tatpurusha is with eight letters (Aa, Ka, Cha, Ta, Tha, Pa, Ya, Sa) and is in
the eight petal lotus and is normally surrounded by air, the five fires, who is
the leader of the mantra energies, and who has the fifty letters and their
notes, and Atharvaveda. He is the head of crores of the Ganas (Elements)
and whose body is the whole universe. His color is Red-which gives the
desired objects. He is the panacea for all kinds of diseases, the cause of the
creation, preservation and destruction &c., and the possessor of all the
Saktis. He is above the three states of consciousness, the fourth (Turiya), and
existence, consciousness and bliss himself, He is worshipped by Brahma,
Vishnu and others, and the Supreme Father of all.
.
11. Isana should be known as the Supreme Ruler and the witness of the
intelligence. He is the Ether unmanifested, and to be worshipped by the
Omkarasvara. He is all the Devas, calm, and above the calmness, and
beyond the Svara (notes). He is the presiding deity of the letters A and
other Svaras, and whose body is the Ether itself. He is the cause of the five
functions (creation &c.) in the great form of the five Brahmans (Sadyojata
&c.). He remains (at the time of dissolution) involving the five Brahmans in
himself, and also remains after absorbing all the manifestations of his own
maya in himself. He shines by his own glory transcending the five Brahmans.
He shines in himself in the past, present and future depending on none else.
12. All the Devas, do not realize him, bewildered by the maya of Sambhu, the
Mahadeva, the Guru of the universe and the Cause of all the causes.
13. His form will not stand before any. He is the highest of the highest, the
support of the universe, the person, by whom the universe is manifested and
in whom it is involved. He is the Supreme Brahman, calm, he is the Supreme
abode and I am that Brahman itself.
14. One should understand the five Supreme Brahmans, Sadyojata and
others; whatever we see and hear all are the five Brahmans. These five are,

as it were, the division of one Brahman. Thus understanding the one as five
he reaches Isana (the fifth). The learned should absorb all, which are in the
form of the five Brahmans, in his self and realize that I am they, and he
reaches Brahman, becoming immortal. He who knows thus, becomes freed
from the bondage; there is no doubt in this.
15. Sambhu is in the form of the five-syllabled mantra (Panchakshara). He is
the Supreme Brahman. Knowing the Panchakshara as consisting from the
letter Na to Ya, one should repeat the mantra.
16. One should realize the universe as Panchakshara in the nature of the five
Brahmans.
17. He, who studies this vidya of the five Brahmans with devotion, attaining
the state of the five Brahmans, shines himself in five forms.
18. Thus Mahadeva, addressing Galava, the great Soul, blessing him and
disappeared there.
19. By hearing which alone, the unheard things become heard, the
unthought, O Sakala, and the unknown is known. Just as by knowing one
lump of earth alone, O Gautama, all the Earth is known as the effect (pot &c.)
is not separate from the cause (Mother Earth); just as by knowing one jewel
alone, all other metals one known; and just as by knowing one nail parer
only, all other iron made things are known, as they are not in nature different
from their cause, so is the effect (the universe) not separate from its cause
(Isvara). The effect becomes always eternal in the form of its cause. The
saying as different is indeed false. The cause is only one, and he is not
separate (from the effects) nor with both forms (separateness and nonseparateness). The idea of separateness is false, as it is impossible to find
out the cause of difference. Therefore the cause is only one, the eternal and
second less. This second less cause is, surely the Pure Consciousness itself.
20. In this city of Brahman (Body) there is, O Sage, a small lotus like house.
In the center of it, there is a subtle ether. He is Siva, Sat, Chit, and Ananda.
He should be sought after by those desirous of Salvation. As He is residing in
the heart as the witness of all, without differences, Siva is called Hridaya
(resider in the heart), the liberator from the Samsara.
It shines at the beginning, middle and end without any causative reason. All

those devas who are all under stupor by the illusion of Maheswara would not
understand properly that Mahadeva who is the teacher of the universe, is the
cause of all causes. His shape does not appear before the eye. This world is
shining because of that Parathpara Purusha in whom the world exists. It
merges in him. That Ishana aspect is the Para Brahman which is the upper
boundary of peace. The knowledge that the Para Brhaman is oneself and the
rise of Sathyo Jatam (birth of truth) is Para Brahman. Whichever is seen or
heard is the soul of Para Brahman.
The existence in five shapes is called Brahma Karya (activity). After
understanding Brahma Karya, Ishana is appreciated. After putting the fact all
that is originating from Para Brahman in ones soul, the wise man experiences
and understands that "It is me" and becomes Brahman as well as deathless.
There is no doubt that the one who understands this Brahman becomes freed
(emancipated).
One should chant the Panchakshara Mantra which is from Na to Ya
(Namasivaya) and which is of the shape of five letters and is Lord Shiva's
body. After understanding the philosophy of the soul of Pancha Brahma, One
should understand that every form is the form of those five. One who studies
this knowledge of the soul of the Pancha Brahma would shine himself as
Pancha Brahma. This Upanishad tells that Lord Shiva, who grants salvation to
one, from this day- to-day life of the world, exists as witness without
differentiation in the heart of all beings and is called Hrudayam (That which
exists within).
Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy, May our study be vigorous and
effective; May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any). Om ! Let
there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be
Peace in the forces that act on me !
The Panchabrahma Veda Mantra
One of the greatest and most sacred of all mantras, the Pachabrahma
Mantr, is found in the Ksha Yajurveda, Taittirya rayaka 10.17-21. Here
its five verses are cited in reverse order (21 to 17), just as they are chanted
during puja. This is a lucid translation by Sabharathnam Sivacharyar, based
on the 12th-century translation by Ugrajyoti Sivacharyar in his priestly
manual Vedartha Nirnaya Manjari, giving the enhanced meaning of the

mantras in the context of the Saiva Agamas.

nassarva vidynm varas sarva bhtnm brahmdhipatir
brahmaodhipatir brahm ivo me astu sadivom
Lord Ishanathe Supreme Lord and Revealer of all knowledge and spiritual
disciplines, the nourisher and controller of all living beings, the Directing Lord
of Sadasiva, He who is the guiding and directing authority for the eight
Vidyeshvaras, who directs Brahma, Vishnu and othersmay He present
Himself in this Sivalinga. By such benign presence, let there occur absolute
purity and auspiciousness in me. Om.

tatpurushya vidmahe mahdevya dhmahi tanno rudra
prachodayt
As guided by my guru, I realize the form of Siva known as Tatpurusha. I
meditate with pure mind and refined intellect on the Great Illuminator. Let
Tatpurushawho cuts asunder the limiting bonds of the souls and by this act
comes to be known as Rudraguide, enlighten and strengthen my organs of
knowledge and action and my internal faculties.

aghorebhyotha ghorebhyo ghora ghoretarebhyas sarvebhyas
sarvasarvebhyo namaste astu rudrarpebhya
Salutations to Lord Siva who manifests Himself in countless benign forms, in
frightful and terrifying forms, and to all those countless forms of Rudra
(eulogized in the Sri Rudram hymn). Salutations to all such manifestations of
Lord Siva.



vmadevya namo jyeshhya nama reshhya namo rudrya
nama klya nama kalavikaraya namo balavikaraya namo
balya namo balapramathanya namas sarvabhta damanya namo
manonmanya nama
Salutations to the luminous Lord who sportively creates everything.

Salutations to the One who is eternally the Eldest, transcending the great
cycles of time. Salutations to the One whose lordship excels all other Gods.
Salutations to the One who wards off the sufferings of all living beings.
Salutations to the One who is Eternal Time. Salutations to the One who sets
into operation the divisions of time and maintains the worlds in an orderly
way. Salutations to the One who, being the source of strength, strengthens
the auspicious forces. Salutations to the One who, being the wielder of
strength, withdraws the strength of inauspicious forces and extirpates them.
Salutations to the One who guides all souls to ultimately reach Him.

sadyojta prapadymi sadyojtya vai namo nama bhave
bhaventibhave bhavasva m bhavodbhavya nama
I submit my mind, speech and body totally and repeatedly to Lord Sadyojata,
who manifests Himself and instantaneously creates bodies and worlds, who
appears to devotees in the forms contemplated by them and yet transcends
such forms assumed by Him and who has a retinue of Deities formed of
millions of mantras. May He make my form as of His own form.
Here ends the Pancha Brahma Upanishad, as contained in the Krishna Yajur
Veda